


A Brief History of Greco-Roman Magic

by Kingsonne



Series: Magical Histories of Zedecks Quinseptria [1]
Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Ancient Roman Religion & Lore, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate History, Ancient History, Documentation, Gen, Harry Potter Meta, Historical, History of Magic Class (Harry Potter), Magic, Magical Realism, Magical Theory (Harry Potter), Wizarding Culture (Harry Potter), Wizarding History (Harry Potter), Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-19 04:34:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29993946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kingsonne/pseuds/Kingsonne
Summary: An in-universe magical history of Rome, with an aside on Greece. Written as by a British Wizarding Historian and Magical Theorist. Connecting muggle mythology, government, and history with the Harry Potter Universe.
Series: Magical Histories of Zedecks Quinseptria [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2206299
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	A Brief History of Greco-Roman Magic

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a lot of world building presented in a somewhat unique way. Rather than forcing it into a story where it doesn't actually fit, it's been formatted as a small in universe history excerpt so it can stand alone. Feel free to use any ideas found here in your own fics if something catches your fancy. While I did my best to maintain the history as close to muggle truth as possible, some events or dates are potentially going to be different from what you learned in school. We'll just chalk all of that up to distortion due to time and the Statute of Secrecy

A Brief History of Greco-Roman Magic

By Zedecks Quinseptria

History has been seen by many a student throughout the ages as a boring and pointless drudgery to be suffered through and then quickly discarded. An attitude that does a disservice to the true importance history can have on events and actions of people all around us, ourselves included. Magical history provides a glimpse in our heritage and into the events that shaped the world to be the way it is now. It shows the ebb and flow of magical-muggle relations, the rise and fall of nations, and the motivations of ancient people that echo up through the ages to the foundations of modern society.

In this brief history, the formation and evolution of Greek and Roman magical society will be examined. While some may dismiss the magical history of another country as irrelevant to one's own, there are fewer cases in which this is less true than with Magical Rome. The history of Roman Magic has had a profound effect on countless lives and countries, Britain among them. Their history is our history, and their present, a lens of how things could have been.

With the enactment of the statute of secrecy in 1692, in Greece and Rome, as in other areas, the true history of the people became muddled in the muggle word. It is of note however, that much of the true history of Rome has remained surprisingly accurate under the guise of the muggle study of "mythology."

Despite the changes that have occurred in the tales in the centuries since their occurrence and the enactment of the Statute, at their base, much of what they teach has a factual basis. The magical histories of Greece and Rome are heavily intertwined, and suited most to a joint study that can bring clarity and understanding to the truth.

* * *

Roma and the Early Capitoline Triad:

753 BC-645 BC

The history of Rome as a people begins with the establishment of the city of Roma by muggles, Romulus and Remus, in 753 BC. The history of magical Rome however, begins with Quirinus, the muggleborn son of Romulus. At a young age, Quirinus displayed signs of abnormality that frightened and confused his parents. To a historian, the abnormalities were clear acts of accidental magic, but to Romulus they were abhorrent and a potential threat to his rule.

Seeking to avoid his son's differences becoming common knowledge, he secreted him away, far from the city, and faked his death. Here would be the end of the story of Quirinus if not for the other two founders of Roman Magic. Not too many years after his exile, young Quirinus was discovered by two sorcerers, Jupiter and Mars. Nothing is known, unfortunately, regarding the early lives of these two men, where they learned to control their power, or how they came upon young Quirinus, but upon their discovery of the poor boy, they removed him from his minders and raised him themselves with the true knowledge of his magic.

In 715 BC, rule of the people passed to Numa Pompilius, the second king of Roma. When word of Numa's ascendance reached Quirinus he became embittered by his exile and the loss of his throne, and so he proposed a plan to his adopted guardians. Muggle legend paints Numa as an embassy to the Gods who negotiated the tenets of their religion. In truth, Numa was approached by our trio of Wizards. Quirinus, Mars and Jupiter presented themselves to the new king, and though their magic was unfocused and lesser by our modern standards, it was sufficient to humble and amaze the muggle King.

In many ways the plan worked well. Numa was awed by their shows of power and by the willingness "Gods" such as them had, to associate with a "mere mortal" as himself. The tenets of this new religion they proposed spread through the city and surrounding countryside. Temples were built on the capital as homes for the three gods, from which came their titles as the Capitoline Triad. From the seats of their temples, blessings of magic were granted in exchange for the favors and sacrifices left by the ancient Romans.

There was a flaw in his plan however, and it was a bitter one for Quirinus to accept. For he was the spitting image of his deceased father, and the people saw him as their beloved king deified and returned to them. Stuck as he was, unable to convince the populus that he was not Romulus, and lacking the knowledge required to maintain the charade of being his father, Quirinus was forced to retreat from any close association with the muggles. Jupiter took the lead in their interactions with the king and with other muggles while Quirinus retreated often to the solitude of his temple.

When interacting with muggles, Quirinus and Mars worked together to bless and enhance the agriculture of the land. Quirinus and Jupiter in tandem led the government through their influence in the senate and over the king. Jupiter was the eldest of the three and due to his leading role in the relations with Numa, was considered by the muggles the chief of the three gods. In truth, however, he deferred most decisions to the private council of Quirinus, and when possible focused on understanding the magic of the sky. Mars granted strength and power to those whose causes of battle he deemed just and likely to bring about further peace, as well as working to protect the muggles against the magical creatures of the land, which still roamed unchecked.

The Capitoline Triad had become the first magical government of Rome. By wielding both magical power and the political influence Jupiter and Quirinus especially held, they maintained their power and rule for decades. A number of other wizards and witches, such as Vulcan and Juno, became notorious for their own magical acts and were in turn worshipped by the muggles as well; but for many years, the worship of the Triad was above all others of the area. Witches and wizards with lesser ambitions gathered themselves together at the temples to act as priests and priestesses of the gods, choosing to associate themselves with those in power rather than seeking fame and control for themselves.

* * *

Post Triadic Gulf

645 BC - 298 BC

In 645 BC, Jupiter became the first of the Triad to die, with old age claiming Mars as well soon after. Quirinus lived for another twenty years, but never brought anyone else into his confidence to restore the Triad. Instead, other wizards and witches that had gathered together to the temples to act as priests of the gods began using their own magic to pass on blessings that supposedly came from Jupiter and Mars, maintaining the façade of their religion.

For the next three hundred years, there was no magical government. The Capitoline Triad was worshipped by the muggles still, but no wizards gained enough power or popularity to gain control of the temples for very long, though many tried. For these centuries, the legends of the gods waxed and waned. Many witches and wizards settled for roles as priests of the gods, living on the offerings brought to the temples and shrines they maintained in exchange for gifts wrought from their magic. Others had ambitions that would not allow them to accept such a life and sought to grow in strength and power. Many took on the titles of those who they wished to emulate, with new Mars' attempting to prove their prowess in battle and new Jupiters seeking to show dominance of the sky.

More unique and powerful individuals created new names for themselves as Gods of the Sea, or Goddesses of Fertility and Motherhood. When a powerful magic user claimed a title, their legend would grow, as muggles saw the power they could wield. When they were deposed by someone else with whom they had conflict, or otherwise ceased to be active, their influence would wane.

Myths and legends grew up around the actions of the new Gods and their worship spread throughout what had become the Roman Republic. There were on many occasions multiple wizards and witches acting under the same title at the same time in different locations, leading to regional differences in beliefs regarding the gods. From the perspective of muggle historians, the activities during the Post Triadic Gulf were the result of local variation in worship practices, rather than of the individual actions of distinct individuals.

Each individual wizard and witch acting as they saw fit within the roles they claimed led many muggles to believe the Gods to be fickle and prone to change. A reasonable belief as one God would act different from the next. A common source of conflicting tales came from the relationships of the Gods, as they would have relations with different people than their expected spouses of legend, including other Gods, magic users, and even muggles.

Many of the tales and legends passed around among muggles regarding the "mythology" of ancient Rome come from the actions of the Gods during this era. Children of those acting in the roles of God's often became deified themselves, halfbloods became demigods, and legends abounded everywhere telling of the exploits and acts of the Gods. For this reason, the Post Triadic Gulf is also known by many as the Age of Legends.

* * *

The Invention of the Wand

In 382 BC, a wizard named Titus Aurelius Duronius changed the future of Rome and of European magic. Titus was a young wizard aspiring to claim the title of Vulcan, the God of Volcanoes, Fire, and Forge and artificer to the Gods. Titus believed that if he was able to create a powerful enough magical artifact he could claim the title and ensure a secure hold over it. The masterwork of Titus is one well known to the world today: the wand.

To understand the true power and effect the wand had on society and on the world one must understand the nature of ancient magic in the Roman area and the nature of the wand itself. Magic, at its most fundamental level, is a method for enacting the will of the user upon the universe. Accidental magic as seen in nurseries and playrooms throughout the magical world is the perfect place to see this clearly. A young enough child has no understanding of magic, power, spells, and wands. They understand only their own basic desires and will. For such a simple mind with such limited experience, the desire for a stuffed animal or a bottle can easily become their sole focus. In the face of such focus, desire, and will, the child's magic acts to bring about change in the world.

Ancient witches and wizards experienced accidental magic in the same manner that children today do. However, their progression beyond that point was far different. Without a wand, wielding magic intentionally required immense amounts of concentration, focus, and willpower in order to achieve effects. There were multiple strategies for achieving this, from meditation to repetitious incanting of the desired outcome.

Titus was searching for something to be an external focal point for magic, something that would lessen the pressure placed on the wizard to use magic. In his search, he explored the magical properties of wood and of magical animals individually and in combination for years before his breakthrough. It was the combination of magical creature and nonmagical plant that created the balance to both withstand and channel the magic of a wizard.

He created the first ever wand from the mane of a pegasus, wrapped around and embedded in wood from the branch of an olive tree grown outside his ancestral home. The wand became the tool he was searching for, sharing and reducing the burden of focus and allowing the freedom to cast with an ease never before seen. His creation was enough to more than guarantee him his title, and he took the name of Vulcan Titus Ollivander, which means he who wields the olive wand.

For decades, the first Ollivander refined his creation, experimenting and exploring the new branch of magic now known as Wandlore.

* * *

The Greek Intersection.

Approximately 800 BC - 300 BC

In the beginning of the 4th century BC, Greek muggles began expanding into lands under the control of Rome. In the interactions between the muggles of the two cultures astounding similarities began to arise regarding the Gods that they worshipped. The muggles gladly incorporated these new gods and their myths and stories into their beliefs, but for the witches and wizards of Rome, something far more significant was in play. Envoys of magical users from Rome were sent to Mount Olympus in Greece, the home of the gods, and there, the history of magical Greece was learned.

In the late 7th century BC an elderly wizarding couple, Uranus and Gaia Titanus settled on Mount Olympus, now known to be the most magical place in Greece. Uranus had become disenchanted with life among muggles and sought solitude to study the secrets of magic and the mysteries of Olympus. They were not alone, as they brought with them their son Cronus and his wife Rhea, their other children Iapetus, Crius, Mnemosyne, and Themis, and other like minded couples. Hyperion and Thea, Ceoeus and Phoebe, and Oceanus and Thethys. Together they built an isolated settlement where they could live in undisturbed peace.

Only a single decade after their arrival, Uranus's advancing age and ailing health required him to pass leadership to his eldest son, Cronus. Cronus held strong to his father's ideals, and led their people well in their isolation and self-sufficiency. For approximately three more decades he led, while children were born to the group and their settlement grew.

For those decades there was peace on Olympus, until internal strife arose between Cronus and his own eldest son, Zeus, who had grown tired of their sequestration. Cronus believed that they should remain separate and above the muggles according to the ideals of his father, while Zeus believed that the isolation was suffocating them and their development and yearned to explore the world beyond the Mount.

The conflict between the two grew in intensity and the people began to divide themselves according to their loyalties. Many of the original settlers followed after Cronus, calling themselves Titans, after their leader, while much of the younger generation followed after Zeus and became known as Olympians, after their home. Things came to a head when a group of muggles travelers stumbled into the den of a chimera.

Zeus and his cousin Ares slayed the chimera to save the group and took them back to their home, hoping to treat their injuries. Cronus was enraged that muggles had been brought into their sanctuary and demanded that the muggles be removed from their midst and left to die in the wilderness the way they would have if Zeus and Ares had not interfered. A great battle of wills and magic occurred between father and son in the central plaza of the town, and when the smoke and debris filtered through the air, Zeus was found victorious, and his father crippled and defeated on the ground.

Thea was quick to her husband's side and spirited him away in disgrace, followed by the rest of the Titans. To preserve their precious isolation, now from Olympians as well as muggles, they created a magically enhanced and sealed cavern they named Tartarus. A place of safety where they could live out their days in self imposed exile.

Back on the surface of Olympus, Zeus's youthful son Apollo, who had spent his time seeking understanding of healing magic, was able to save the lives of the muggle explorers. Their recovery took weeks, weeks that would change life on Olympus forever. The muggles were able to see the wonders of magic firsthand during their recovery, and when they returned home, it was with tales of the Gods on Olympus.

Zeus and the other Olympians began to make trips down among the muggles where the news of their wondrous powers was quickly spreading. As the news spread, so did the muggle worship and temples dedicated to them were erected around the country. Tales of their feats, both true stories passed on by the muggles they saved as well as exaggerations and fabrications were shared throughout the people.

With the massive change in the lives of the Olympians came a change in leadership. Rather than following in the steps of his father and grandfather, Zeus did not claim sole leadership of Olympus, but instead founded a council of his most loyal supporters. The council of twelve that they created together was known as the Dodekatheon, and was the governing factor of Olympus.

While the Olympians were often found among the muggles, lavished in praise and worship, they still stayed true to their past on the Mount. Each of the Olympians focused their efforts of magical study to those areas that interested them most, which led to focusing the blessings they gave to muggles in ways that they personally saw fit. While they spent most of their time home on Olympus, they would often journey down to the muggle cities and towns, to visit the temples of those who worshipped them.

During their visits they began to find children, often young, left at their temples, children who had shown strange abilities their parents did not understand. From a modern perspective it is clear that these children were almost certainly muggleborn, but to these ancient Greeks they were believed to be the results of the Gods dalliances with favored muggles, a theory which in some cases is likely to have been true.

This discovery was brought to the attention of the Dodekatheon, who met together to discuss what was to be done with these magical children. In the end, the solution was already prepared for them in the temples erected by the muggles. Wizards and witches that followed the same areas of studies as the twelve were sent down to the temples as priests and priestesses of the Gods. There they took on the task of delivering the blessings and messages of the Gods, which allowed the Dodekatheon to focus on their studies and on governing the rapidly growing magical population.

While in the muggle world, the priests and priestesses would also watch for the signs of muggleborn children, and bring them to the temples for training. Within the temples, they, along with wizardborn children, learned basic magical control. Further education took the form of apprenticeships with upper priests or priestesses that began at age fifteen, when the children would move to the temple of whatever school of magic they were most interested in.

The Dodekatheon ruled strongly for many years, and despite years of being worshipped as Gods, they were all too aware of their mortality. Each of the twelve took on an apprentice from among the priests and priestesses of their orders, to teach and to pass on the secrets that they had discovered. These apprentices each in turn took up the mantles of their masters, both politically in the Dodekatheon and magically as the twelve gods.

In the days of the third Zeus, there was a great debate among the Dodekatheon regarding the future of Olympus. The settlement had grown into a mighty and sprawling city on the mountain, while the slopes were filled with magical creatures and plants, both wild and domesticated, many of which were dangerous.

While the respect and fear of deity kept most muggles off of the mountain, some still chose to seek the favors of the Gods directly rather than through the priests and priestesses of the temples. In order to preserve the peace of their government, and the safety of the muggles, a decision was made to seal off the mountain. This great undertaking, performed with the lost knowledge of Tartarus and the inherent magic of the mountain, removed the mountain from muggle access and view. The muggles, as resilient in explaining away magic as ever, soon forgot the truth of its location, and came to believe a lesser peak the home of the gods.

The magical people were more willing to associate with the muggles than in the days of Uranus and Cronus, but they still kept the truth of their existence cloaked behind the veneer of religion, hid their mount from them, and never revealed their true numbers. As such, in some way, the magic users of Greece have a history of secrecy that extends back much further than the existence of the statute.

While their history of secrecy runs deep, they shared willingly with their magical brethren from Rome, in a discourse that would change the course of history.

* * *

Dei Consentes and the New Capitoline Triad

298 BC - 246 BC

The Roman envoys returned home to share what they had learned of their neighbors, bringing the new ideas of magical government. The three most powerful Roman magic users of the time had claimed the names of Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, and together they claimed the long contested status as the new Capitoline Triad. Together they searched the land for the strongest claimants to the titles of the Gods and brought them together in Rome, where they established Dei Consentes, their counterpart to the Dodekatheon. They and the nine others they had gathered created an organized system of government with each of them heading a respective aspect.

From a modern perspective, the governing roles assumed by Dei Consentes are rather similar to department heads or ministers within our own government.

Jupiter: The magical leader, similar to the Minister of Magic.

Juno: The second in authority and special counselor of the state.

Minerva: The head of the Vigiles, the ancient counterpart to the aurors, and advisor to Jupiter and Juno.

Neptune: The head of Magical Transportation.

Mars: The head of Magical Defense.

Venus: The head of Diplomacy

Apollo: The head of Humanities and Education.

Diana: The head of Magical Creature Management.

Vulcan: The head of Magical Research and Development.

Vesta: The head of Social Services.

Mercury: The head of Commerce.

Ceres: The head of Herbology and Agriculture.

The unification of magical authority in Rome put an end to the actions of scattered claimants to titles that characterized the Post Triadic Gulf. Dei Consentes became the true magical government of Rome and together they managed the magical people of the land. They established an educational system similar to that of the Greeks and through the temples of the land young wizards and witches were gathered and taught how to control and wield their magic using the wands that were now rapidly becoming an essential aspect of Roman magic.

The power and authority of Dei Consentes did not end in the magical community, for while the relationship between magical and muggle had changed much since the days of the first Triad, it entered a new age with the establishment of Dei Consentes. Jupiter was well aware of the belief and trust many of the muggles placed in the words of the Gods and decided that it was time to make the most of that trust. The Priests, Priestesses, and Oracles that ran the temples were changed to positions of governance rather than convenience, from which position they would pass on prophecies and council to the muggle leaders of the land in order to guide their actions.

* * *

The Expansion of Mars Gradivus

246 BC- 44 BC

In 246 BC a wizard named Gravidus, the second Mars of Dei Consentes made a proposal to expand the glory and power of Rome. Mars was an aggressive man, as many that had been drawn to the title had been, and desired to strengthen both his role in Dei Consentes and Rome itself. The wand gave more power and control over magic than ever before and Gravidus intended to use it. The rest of the Twelve agreed to his proposal and plans were made for what magical historians call the Expansion of Mars Gradivus.

He organized a legion of wizards trained to use their wands and magic for battle, inserted trained wizards into the muggle legions in positions to strengthen and support the muggles in their cohorts, and assigned priests of Mars to each unit to guide them in the path of battle he saw fit. With his army established, the muggle leaders of the land were influenced to declare war on the surrounding nations and expand their lands.

In a hundred years they invaded Spain, North Africa, parts of Asia Minor, and even Greece. None of those they conquered held such a close relationship between muggle and magical and their armies could not withstand those of Rome. In lands such as Greece, where the magical people were more isolated, the magical legion, led by Mars himself, was unstoppable. Without the strength of wandbased magic, Olympus fell and the Dodekatheon was ended. Within the provinces of Rome, the wizards and witches from conquered territories were granted citizenship if they swore loyalty to Rome and Dei Consentes.

After the initial expansion, there was a period of over 70 years of consolidation while the new territories adjusted, and in 80 BC Gravidus proposed moving forward in battle again. This second expansion would see the modern countries of France, Germany, and Britain fall under the control of the Roman Republic.

The Expansion of Mars Gravidus has had a greater impact on the magical landscape of the world than any other military campaign, because with the spread of Roman might, came the spread of Roman magic. This military endeavor wiped away much of the native magic of the lands conquered by Rome, and left in their stead the art that is wand based magic.

Though Rome did fall, eventually, its influence is felt around the world in the dominance of wand-magic around the globe. For the echoing effects of Mars Gravidus' campaign are not limited to the lands he captured, but in the lands influenced and controlled by those lands. European colonization brought wand-magic to the Americas, Africa, Asia Minor, and even some parts of Asia Major.

* * *

The Civil Wars

49 BC - 27 BC

Towards the end of The Second Expansion of Mars Gravidus, civil war broke out within Rome. The muggle champion of Mars, and the leader of the muggle army, Julius Caesar sought to take control of the muggle government away from the Senate. Mars backed his champion with the tacit approval of the rest of Dei Consentes, who felt that a singular leader like those of old would be easier to influence than the entirety of the Senate.

Despite the level of separation the magical and muggle populations experienced during this era, there were many magical people whose loyalties were intertwined with their muggle counterparts, and many chose to side with the Republic in the civil war.

The tacit approval of the actions of Mars and Caesar did not extend to the forbidding of these actions, and the civil war ran its course with magical and muggle blood spent freely on both sides. In the end the victory won by Caesar was not one he would enjoy long as his dictatorship lasted only a few years. He did however break the control of the Republic, and while further years of civil war would see many seek to reestablish it, they were unsuccessful.

* * *

The Roman Empire

27 BC - AD 222

Under Augustus Caesar, the newly founded Roman Empire began to see a level of stability once again. The efforts of the military might of Rome turned inward, acting more for defense than for expansion, as numerous rebellions and insurrections were mounted against their control throughout the empire. That is not to say expansion and annexation were unheard of in these years, but the slow growth of Rome was a far cry from the explosive expansion of the past.

Emperors rose and fell, as did leadership within Dei Consentes. Priorities shifted, as did the exertion of influence enacted upon Roman leadership by the magical government. After a century of stability within the Empire, the Magical government had become lax in their control over their muggle counterparts.

The long held traditions and tenets of the religion had seen the Dei Consentes grow complacent, corrupt, and fat on the offerings of the muggles. It seemed for a time that minimal effort was needed to maintain their way of life, the muggles took care of the military, the farming, the governing, and then passed on the bounty to their temples, while lesser priests and priestesses kept them satisfied with minor boons of magic. What need was there to use magic to grant a good harvest? Either the harvest would be good, and the muggles would shower them with gifts in gratitude, or the harvest would be bad, and the muggles would shower them in gifts in an attempt to regain their favor.

This complacency would be the downfall of Dei Consentes and the magical Roman way of life, and the largest magical empire in history.

* * *

Christianity and the decline of Dei Consentes

AD 30-33 and 222 - AD 380

During the expansion of the Roman Republic and later, the Roman Empire, the magical people of the lands conquered by Rome were brought into the fold of the magical way of life of the Roman people, with those conquered people learning and adapting to this new magic that had defeated them. But the adoption of Roman magic did not guarantee the adoption of Roman mentality.

In the Roman Province of Judea, a particularly strong wizard began performing miracles for the muggles around him. He did not seek the offerings and gifts that the priests and priestesses of Roman magic did. Offering his magical boons as his own gifts instead, while teaching of his personal beliefs.

His efforts were moderately successful, and he gained a following, surrounding himself with twelve magical disciples in an organization reminiscent of the magical government that controlled his land. His teachings and use of magic threatened the local muggle religion, and their leadership, and they sought the justice of Rome to end his life.

While the Roman governor compiled with their request, the mindset and teachings of this man lived on in his followers, who began to spread throughout the land. Deifying their deceased leader, they carried his name as a symbol of their new religion, through which they rebelled against the ways of Rome, both Magical and Muggle.

By the 3rd century AD, this new Religion, Christianity, had grown in might and influence throughout Rome. Many muggles abandoned their faith in the Roman gods to follow after the disciples of Christ, who walked among them, performing miracles and teaching the time warped beliefs of their founder.

Temples were cast down or converted, and the magical people of Rome were pushed out on the street, as their sanctuaries were violated by this new way of thinking. Within Rome itself, Dei Consentes finally realized the threat to their way of life this new movement posed. However, rather than rising from their indolent state to counter the Christian faith with their own shows of force and magic, they defaulted to the way that they had done things for centuries.

In AD 222, the muggle government was instructed to invoke edicts against Christianity, and the sedentary magical government of Rome returned to its slumber, confident that the problem would be handled.

The muggle government followed their orders and their own biases, and periodically made efforts to restrain the growth of Christianity over the following decades, but the Christian movement was not handled. It was not like the Roman system, in which only witches and wizards held authority. Muggle priests and missionaries spread their beliefs through the land, confident in their faith, having seen the miracles performed by others, despite lacking the ability to perform those miracles themselves.

The religion took on a life of its own, growing rapidly beyond the control of what few wizards and witches still acted as priests. Muggles and magical alike were caught up in the momentum of the religion, and the shifting canon of the religion saw a shift in mindset. Magicals believed alongside their muggle counterparts, rather than leading them in a known falsehood. With that sincerity of belief came a devotion not seen in Rome for centuries and the Christians continued to grow in both numbers and influence.

In AD 303, the Oracle of Apollo at Didyma, a seer of considerable power, acted unilaterally in an attempt to salvage their own power, which they saw coming to an end through the spread of Christianity. Without approval from Dei Consentes, they gave instruction to Emperor Diocletian that Christianity must be destroyed, leading to a period of great persecution, bloody and terrible, but one that failed to accomplish its goals. Christianity was not destroyed, nor its influence.

Over the next several decades leadership changes in Dei Consentes saw numerous resurgent efforts to eradicate the religion threatening the Roman way of life, a losing battle, as many later Emperors of Rome actually converted to Christianity themselves. A true sign of the waning influence and action of Dei Consentes, as they no longer controlled the empire at all. The emperor was not their puppet anymore, nor even their partner. The Christian emperors ignored the priests of Dei Consentes, who even in the twilight of their rule, did not deign to leave their temples and places of comfort to interact with the muggles themselves.

Those Emperors that did not follow Christianity made little progress in their persecutions, and their efforts were rapidly undone. In AD 380, the rule of Dei Consentes was officially ended, with the Roman Emperor Theodisius the Great establishing Christianity as the state religion. Even the great temples were converted or ransacked for materials to build other great works of the Roman Empire, and the leadership of Magical Rome was fractured completely.

* * *

Fall of the Roman Empire

The success of Rome proved in more ways than one to be its downfall, both magically and mundane. For centuries, the conquered peoples of Rome had learned and adapted to the versatile and powerful way of magic that is wand-magic, but in many territories of Rome, the people never forgot that they were once their own. Their traditional magic may have been weakened and in many cases lost, but their heritage and drive for freedom was not.

Repeated attacks by Visigoths saw Rome visited with the power they had previously brought down upon others. These Barbarians at the gates were not the uncivilized peoples whose traditional magics were unsuited to combat. They were formidable opponents with wands in their grips.

With no magical leadership in place, there were no organized magical defenses to protect the peoples of Rome. The army had no magical advisors, no magical legionnaires, and they suffered for it. Rome was under attack from all sides, and this time it was by enemies whose magical allies were strong as their own, but far more organized.

In 476, the Roman Empire was broken, and for centuries would exist not as the conquering nation, but as the conquered. Invaded and taken over by various other nations and empires over the years.

From here it is a question, where does the history of Magical Rome continue? Is it in the remnant of the Byzantine Empire? The people of Italy? The people throughout the world whose lands had once fallen under the banner of Rome? Here in Britain we can still see the influence of Rome in our names and spells. Muggle Rome may have retreated from our shores, but the influence on our culture and magic has lasted far longer than that. Maintaining its sway throughout the centuries of Norman, Viking, and Anglo-Saxon control.

The influence of Roman magic on the world is extensive; the subject for a lifetime of study rather than a brief history. We can only hope to study it as best we can, and hope that the legacy we keep and the lessons we learn are those of strength and might, rather than of complacency and corruption.


End file.
